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First Interviews & First Dates
Posted on March 7, 2011 by Editor
A friend recently found himself in the job market. He was a seasoned professional, college-educated, with a strong career history. Having worked with bellwether corporations in senior positions since graduating from college 20 years ago, he was gifted at his craft, but had virtually no experience navigating a job interview.
After sending out some resumes, he was promptly asked to interview for a position where he would have excelled. I spoke with him after the interview – he was upbeat, said he told the interviewer that this was the perfect job for him. He reported the interviewer smiled a lot, and they even shared a couple of laughs. In short, he thought he nailed the interview.
He didn’t get the job, and wasn’t even called for a second interview. Confused, he approached me for advice. “What did I do wrong? Should I have been more assertive? Should I have asked more questions?”
I began to dig deeper. That’s when I learned my friend’s resume was as cluttered as his mind during the interviews. Being a top performer he would go on and on his achievements but in the verbose the greatest achievements in his professional life (Grand Slam) are missed mentioning. Then it hit me hard to know that he asked two questions that likely disqualified him as a candidate. First he asked about compensation and second he asked about a partnership track. Perfectly good questions – just not for a first interview.
First interviews are like first dates. You often don’t know each other, and both parties are trying to find commonalities, learn some solid facts about each other, and see if this is someone they would like to get to know better. On a first date, it’s not the time to be asking about long-term commitment, how much money someone has in their bank account or what they are looking for in a spouse. Those questions are down the road, as both parties get comfortable with the possibility of a future together.
And like on a first date, nods and smiles from the person at the other side of the table may only mean they are courteous and polite.
Author Bio: Cherian Philip heads the Recruitment Process Outsourcing Business. He is responsible for business development and new client acquisition. You can reach him directly at cherian@adastraconsultants.com
Watch the video: The Origin of Job Interviews – BBC One
Video : Copyright with The Armstrong and Miller Show in BBC One
This entry was posted in Business Landscape. Bookmark the permalink.
First Interviews & First Dates
Posted on March 7, 2011 by Editor
A friend recently found himself in the job market. He was a seasoned professional, college-educated, with a strong career history. Having worked with bellwether corporations in senior positions since graduating from college 20 years ago, he was gifted at his craft, but had virtually no experience navigating a job interview.
After sending out some resumes, he was promptly asked to interview for a position where he would have excelled. I spoke with him after the interview – he was upbeat, said he told the interviewer that this was the perfect job for him. He reported the interviewer smiled a lot, and they even shared a couple of laughs. In short, he thought he nailed the interview.
He didn’t get the job, and wasn’t even called for a second interview. Confused, he approached me for advice. “What did I do wrong? Should I have been more assertive? Should I have asked more questions?”
I began to dig deeper. That’s when I learned my friend’s resume was as cluttered as his mind during the interviews. Being a top performer he would go on and on his achievements but in the verbose the greatest achievements in his professional life (Grand Slam) are missed mentioning. Then it hit me hard to know that he asked two questions that likely disqualified him as a candidate. First he asked about compensation and second he asked about a partnership track. Perfectly good questions – just not for a first interview.
First interviews are like first dates. You often don’t know each other, and both parties are trying to find commonalities, learn some solid facts about each other, and see if this is someone they would like to get to know better. On a first date, it’s not the time to be asking about long-term commitment, how much money someone has in their bank account or what they are looking for in a spouse. Those questions are down the road, as both parties get comfortable with the possibility of a future together.
And like on a first date, nods and smiles from the person at the other side of the table may only mean they are courteous and polite.
Author Bio: Cherian Philip heads the Recruitment Process Outsourcing Business. He is responsible for business development and new client acquisition. You can reach him directly at cherian@adastraconsultants.com
Watch the video: The Origin of Job Interviews – BBC One
Video : Copyright with The Armstrong and Miller Show in BBC One
This entry was posted in Business Landscape. Bookmark the permalink.
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